Following surgery, patients who have had a surgical construction of an artificial excretory opening such as ileostomy or colostomy patients use ileostomy/colostomy bags (collectively referred to as ostomy bags) to collect bodily waste materials. These bodily waste materials include gases, liquids and solids. The waste material may be semi-solid faecal waste. It is desirable in any event to dispose the collected materials with minimal handling from the user. It is also desirable to avoid undesired smell to escape from the ostomy bag when it is detached from the patient after use and before being disposed.
Some bags are intended for multiple use purposes and generally the surgical patients find that they have to empty the collection bag many times during the day. A given collection bag is thus fitted with waste discharge outlet through which the waste materials collected from the artificial excretory opening can be discharged. It is not unusual to empty these bags between six and ten times in any given day. A collection bag will typically be worn for a number of consecutive days before being replaced with a new bag. Given the nature of the materials which they collect, such collection bags are generally made of plastics materials.
Once the stoma is in place, however, gas created by the digestion of food builds up behind the stoma and when the pressure is too great for the stoma opening to prevent its release, the gas escapes through the stoma in a sequential series of closely linked gas bubbles, causing the stoma to rapidly open and close. The rapid opening and closing of the stoma creates an audible noise. This flatulence can become a problem as the user has no way of controlling the escape of gas from the stoma or the noise associated with this. Additionally, the noise can often cause embarrassment to a person having a colostomy.
While there have been developments in managing other challenges such as odor discharging from a stoma, little has been effectively done to control noise emanating from the stoma. One sound abatement device that has been developed comprises a woven pouch configured to receive a stoma bag. However, the pouch requires the use of additional hardware, such as a belt or otherwise, to maintain the position of the bag. Unfortunately, the use of additional hardware can be noticeable and uncomfortable as the material of the hardware is typically kept under pressure. During the day, it is difficult for an individual to obtain reprieve from irritation caused by the additional hardware and must wait until he or she is in private, such as at home, to remove the hardware. This is because, often, the device is bulky and wrapped entirely about the individual and disposed under clothing. Further, some bags used for sound abatement is formed of woven material, which is less than satisfactory for the reduction of noise.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,657 describes a method for reducing the noise resulting from flatulence. It describes an oblong device made of porous material which is inserted into the colon using the stoma. The device has a hole which acts to keep the stoma open so that gases can pass through the device and the stoma without any pressure build-up and consequent noise production. However, whenever a stool is passed the device is pushed out of the stoma and into the colostomy bag. This results in a number of disadvantages, for example, after a stool has been passed the device is no longer in the stoma and therefore, the patient is susceptible to gas build up and consequent noises discussed above. Alternatively, it is suggested that the device ejected into the bag can be reinserted by hand into the end portion of the intestine; however, this may not always be convenient.
US2011147114 describes means for the abatement of noise emanating from surgically created abdominal stomas. The sound abatement means includes a noise suppressor formed of sound dampening material, which defines an opening and cavity suitable in size and shape for receiving and enveloping a stoma formed through a body wall of an individual.
Improved means for reducing the disturbance caused by the noise when gas exits the stoma is needed.